Joslyn Carter, a 13-year veteran of the Department of Homeless Services who most recently was its Associate Commissioner of Family Intake, was chosen July 10 by Mayor de Blasio to be its Administrator at a time of crisis.

She will directly manage the agency under Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.

Nearly 4,000 on Streets

The position is an important part of the city’s “Turning the Tide” plan to reduce the homeless population in city shelters, which stands at 58,000. There were 3,892 unsheltered homeless people on a single night in February, a 40-percent increase from the year before.

Last year, the Mayor ordered a review of the city’s homeless services and decided the Human Resources Administration and DHS should work together under the DSS Commissioner, with an Administrator assigned to run each agency. Grace Bonilla was named HRA Administrator in February.

“The Department of Homeless Services is on the front lines working every day with families and individuals who have lost their homes and the stability that provides,” the Mayor said in a statement. “Joslyn Carter has dedicated her life’s work to helping homeless New Yorkers, and I am confident that her leadership will further strengthen the agency.”

Ms. Carter ran 10 shelters as a Program Analyst when she joined DHS in 2008, and in her most-recent role was responsible for overseeing the application process for families applying for shelter and ensuring that the intake site operated 24 hours a day.

Borough-Based Placement

DHS plans to offer borough-based shelter placement, which will keep homeless families close to their support networks, such as families and schools. Ms. Carter said she was “honored and excited” to help lead the new approach.

“I’m confident that working with my partners on DHS’s strong leadership team and with support from the Department of Social Services, we will improve quality of life for New Yorkers experiencing the challenge of home­less­ness, including improving how we provide shelter and how we help them transition into permanent housing,” she said in a statement.